Launch of the Centre for Open Thanatology Join us for the 'Launch of the Centre for Open Thanatology: Dialogue and Engagement with Death and Loss'

🎉 You’re invited! Join us for the Launch of The Centre for Open Thanatology: Dialogue and Engagement with Death and Loss - 23rd June
⭐ Keynote: Prof. Neil Thompson
🎙️ Live podcast recording: Dr Bethan Michael-Fox interviewing Dr Korina Giaxoglou.
🔗 Register: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/launch-of-...

Poster text reads: The Open University MA Classical Studies Leventis Studentships 2026 Thanks to the generosity of the A.G. Leventis Foundation, The Open University are delighted to offer three fully-funded studentships for UK students to undertake our MA in Classical Studies. These are open to candidates who meet one or both of the following criteria: Teachers working in state-funded schools or sixth form colleges in the UK who plan to introduce or develop classical subjects in their school Students from a Black, Asian or Minority Ethnic background The Leventis studentships consist of a grant of £9,000 to cover the full cost of the tuition fees for the MA with the remaining balance available for the purchase of books and resources or attendance at related events. Full details and the application form are available on our website: https://www.open.ac.uk/blogs/classicalstudies/

Studentships now available for the @openuniversity.bsky.social MA in Classical Studies! Open to state school teachers and/or students from Black, Asian, or Minority Ethnic backgrounds. Applications due by 1 June. Please share widely! More info + application form: www.open.ac.uk/blogs/classi...

The Baron Thyssen Centre for the Study of Ancient Material Religion

Learn more via: www.openmaterialreligion.org

@shaftowheed.bsky.social

Great to see @openthanatology.bsky.social colleagues talking about these issues! What else would you add to the discussion?

The following images each contain a description of the course - you can find an accessible version of that description by clicking the link in the next post.

Friends! For the @openuniversity.bsky.social’s free learning platform I wrote a course: Exploring Ovid’s big ideas. It’s about Pacific Islander creation myth, monsters, Brazilian art, how stories change their meaning across time, British-Nigerian poetry, and of course… about Ovid. 💻🏺

Finding your way after the death of a significant person Grief is personal, shaped by culture, identity and experience. Bereavement professional Remi Martin reflects on loss, resilience, and navigating life after losing a significant person, especially ...

Remi recently shared her experiences of grief in this article: Finding your way after the death of a significant person. Maybe you'll find it useful to read this #ThanatologyThursday

Ancient ideas: where does the soul go? Humans have grappled with the question of what happens after death for millennia. Across the ancient world, many different cultures developed their own answers and underworlds. The Ancient Greeks ...

Ancient ideas: where does the soul go? - find out more in this short article by Stephanie Holton. #ThanatologyThursday

Open Thanatology Hub Check out the FREE content from Open Thanatology, The Open University’s interdisciplinary research group for the study and education of death, dying, loss and grief.

Do you teach about dying, death, grief, or end of life care? Need some free resources for your class or assignments? We've got lots of great short articles, animations, and interactives you could use on our Open Thanatology Hub on OpenLearn. www.open.edu/openlearn/he... #ThanatologyThursday

Interested in doing a funded PhD at the Open University? We have an opportunity to explore what dying well means to people living with dementia. Please see the link below for more information and don't hesitate to get in touch to discuss further! wels.open.ac.uk/sites/wels.o...

The bitter taste of death: mourning for the young in ancient Rome --- intrigued? Read more by Valerie Hope on ORO. oro.open.ac.uk/104224/ #ThanatologyThursday

Are you working on relations between bodies (living/dead/human/animal/other!) & ritual in the #ancient #Roman world? If so, maybe you'd like to submit a 300-word abstract for the session 'Bodies in Ritual Practices' at RAC/TRAC Aarhus, 21-23 May 2026?! See www.romansocietyrac.ac.uk/ractrac-2026...

Ancient ideas: where does the soul go? Humans have grappled with the question of what happens after death for millennia. Across the ancient world, many different cultures developed their own answers and underworlds. The Ancient Greeks ...

New article added to our Open Thanatology Hub on OpenLearn - Ancient ideas: where does the soul go? www.open.edu/openlearn/wh...
Short, fascinating read for this #ThanatologyThursday

Are you interested in death, dying, loss, grief, and related topics, from historical studies to current issues? Then I'd recommend following @openthanatology.bsky.social and keeping an eye out for resources it shares.

Introducing... The Roman Mourner - a comprehensive analysis of the customs and rituals associated with mourning and death in ancient Rome.

Find out more: bit.ly/4lMdRI6

Time for unboxing. Exciting to have my own copy at last! @bloomsburyclass.bsky.social @openthanatology.bsky.social.

Check out this fab new book from our member @valmhope.bsky.social on Romans' funeral rites and mourning. #deathstudies

Publication day! Just in time for essential summer reading (preferably by a pool with a cool drink). @bloomsburyclass.bsky.social @openthanatology.bsky.social

www.bloomsbury.com/uk/roman-mou...

A thing of beauty, & it’s in our garden #bloomscrolling #tinyjoys

See the recent short article added to our Open Thanatology Hub? If not, you can read about this #ThanatologyThursday. "Grief and the body: mourning in ancient Rome" by Valerie Hope
shorturl.at/3eLgx

A book cover with a black background and yellow edging. The title is: The Roman Mourner. Funeral Rites, Gender and the Body. Beneath the title is a sculptured panel showing a laid-out body surrounded by mourners.

Not long til publication (10/07/25) @bloomsburyclass.bsky.social @bloomsburybooksuk.bsky.social. Appendices are already available online. So if you're desperate to know (and who wouldn't be!) how often Roman mourners pulled their hair, groaned and so forth, see www.bloomsbury.com/uk/roman-mou...

Great to see this out. Thanks due to the editors. And its Open Access, with a full PDF on the publisher's website: www.liverpooluniversitypress.co.uk/doi/book/10....

Reminder that the call for these scholarships is open! Deadline 4pm on 3rd June!

Dandelion seed head against a green grass background dotted with small white flowers

The head of a white rabbit against green grass, with a yellow dandelion just visible by the rabbit's mouth.

Trying to embrace the beauty of dandelions for no-mow-May.....or alternatively feeding them to the rabbits. Timmy loves a dandelion feast. #tinyjoys #weedscrolling rather than #bloomscrolling

Applications are open for MA studentships in Classical Studies at the Open University! Open to:
- teachers in state schools/sixth-form colleges looking to develop provision of classical subjects
- students from a Black, Asian or Minority Ethnic background
More info: www.open.ac.uk/blogs/classi...

White & pink petals of apple blossom

A round cake with multi-coloured icing with a Happy Birthday banner. Behind a cake stand with cupcakes.

Apple blossom in the orchard & mass cake consumption with a relative #tinyjoys

And don't forget you can also explore the guided, interactive tour of Pompeii that we made to accompany the series, and learn more about studying Classical Studies with @openuniversity.bsky.social connect.open.ac.uk/history-and-...